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Realms of Faith
Faith is very important to the people of Thelos. They believe that their destinies, lives, and futures are connected to the Gods. That does not mean that there are not a large amount of unfaithful, but it is uncommon to find people who do not believe in some kind of higher power. The Ryn War The Ryn war is an eternal struggle that most of the mortals of Thelos are completely unaware of. It is so named for the first seraph that fell in the conflict. The Ryn war is a battle that has been going on between the first children of the gods, seraphs, and the fallen ones, daemons. The war began when the fallen ones decided to tamper with the god’s second children, mortals. Though they resent the mortals, whom the god’s have favored since their creation, the first children fight to protect the world from the fallen ones. The only mortals who are aware of the war are a few high level priests and wizards. Though the seraphs do their best to keep mortals out of the fight, it is unavoidable at times. Some evil mortals have also been known to side with the fallen ones, in attempts to win favor from them or to increase their own power. The early period of the war occurred on the prime plane, on the world of Thelos. Both Daemons and Seraphs were banished from the Prime by Illeander, with Farandal's help. From time to time the first children will attempt to enter the Prime. Usually it is Daemons attempting to take power over mortals while Seraphs attempt to stop them. As long as these minor incursions remain isolated the Gods do not step in. Gods of Humanity Greater Gods Illeander The Creator, The Healing Hand Symbol: Silver dragon wrapped around the world. Alignment: Lawful Good Portfolio: Healing, paladins, honor, protection Worshipers: All goodly people of Draico Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG Domains: Good, Healing, Law, Protection Favored Weapon: Heavy Mace Illeander is the god most worshiped in the land of Draico. All people of good alignment, from the king to the peasants, worship him. Illeander looks down on evil but knows that it must exist in order to maintain universal balance. Illeander is a just and merciful god. His followers worship him, not out of fear, but out of respect and love. Like all the gods of Draico Illeander has no progeny and considers his followers to be his children. He is the god who created Thelos out of the chaos and peopled it with the good races. Duties of the Priesthood: Clerics of Illeander pray for spells in the early morning. Their naturals involve silent vigils by candlelit alters. Once a month, on the tenth day, an elaborate ceremony is held in the temples of Illeander and attendance is strongly encouraged. There are four major holidays in the faith, all coinciding with the two equinoxes and two solstices. It is believed that at these times everything is aligned to allow Illeander’s followers to get closer to him. Great feast are held at these times, and the priests are expected to seek new followers among the populace. Priests must maintain a modest yet suitable temple. Militant priests, adventuring clerics, and paladins must tithe 10% of their monetary income to the church. The church of Illeander can turn away no hungry or homeless traveler, and usually has a boarding house for the poor of the area. Weapons restricted to bludgeoning. No armor restrictions. Clerics of Illeander must be of good alignment. Illeander’s priests commonly multi-class as paladins. Dogma: Offer peace, protection and mercy to all. Smite down any unnatural creations of Karratos, this includes but is not limited to undead, aberrations, and outsiders. Provide shelter to the homeless, healing to the suffering, and protection to the weak. Uphold law as long as it is just, and provide alternatives for those laws tat are not. Above all pass on Illeander’s belief in the good of all beings and salvation for those who follow the path of evil. Farandal The Balance, the Scale Symbol: A scale with the world at the center. Alignment: N Portfolio: Protection, justice, warriors. Worshipers: Fighters, druids Cleric Alignments: N, NG, NE Domains: Chaos, Knowledge, Law, Protection. Favored Weapon: Staff Farandal is worshiped by those people who choose to follow a neutral path in their lives. Farandal has few followers, for the path of neutrality is a hard one to follow. Mostly mercenary adventurers and her secluded priesthood worship her. The holy symbol of the priesthood is a balance with the world at the center. Farandal brought balance to the world of Thelos as well as knowledge to the good people. Farandal taught them about good as well as evil and gave them the free will to choose their own path. Duties of the Priesthood: The priests of Farandal must be neutral in all things. This includes extending aid to good as well as evil. Priests of the balance usually pray at midday or midnight, when the day is at balance. They have two major holidays, the two equinoxes, celebrating the balance of the world. Many of Farandal’s priests take up the task of recording the history of Carabet. The historians are impartial and record the history as accurately as they can. The historians travel the continent and are a frequent site at most events of significance. Their library is located in Tantallas but they keep copies of all their manuscripts in a vault secreted away somewhere in Draico. No weapon or armor restrictions. Priests of Farandal sometimes multi-class as fighters or rangers. Dogma: They must not turn anyone away because of race, gender, social status, or life-style. But on the other hand they will not directly interfere with the lives of anyone else. They will not participate in wars of conquest, but if they see that good or evil is taking dominance over the other they will help the weaker side to restore the balance. Karratos The Destroyer, the Dark One, the Darkness Symbol: A black serpent wrapped around a staff. Alignment: CE Portfolio: Undead, evil creatures, blackguards, evil dragons. Worshipers: All the evil peoples of Draico. Cleric Alignments: LE, NE, CE, CN Domains: Chaos, Death, Destruction, Evil, Strength, War Favored Weapon: Dagger All the evil races of Thelos in some form or another worship Karratos. He is the god who first brought death into the world. Karratos created all diseases. When the world was created he brought and end too the eternal life of the races, thus causing Illeander to give the races the ability to procreate. Karratos also brought decay and rot to the beauty Illeander had created. Karratos is worshipped by a strict cult of priests who fear him and do his bidding without question. The holy symbol of the cult is a black serpent wrapped around a staff. Duties of the Priesthood: The priests of Karratos usually pray at night for their spells and ritual sacrifice is made to Karratos every month on the full moon, but the priests must follow Death's example and be neutral in their choosing. Little did Karratos know, but when he brought Death into the world, the neutral lesser god had the power to bring and prevent Death. Therefore Death made a pact with all the gods that demand sacrifices. That these sacrifices be neutral or Death would prevent the death of the intended victim, causing the deity to lose power. Weapons restricted to small bladed weapons. No armor restrictions. Must be of evil alignment, and sometimes multi-class as wizards or sorcerers. Lesser Gods Lodin The Quick Tongue, the Masked One Symbol: None Alignment: CN Portfolio: Mischief, lies, thievery Worshipers: Rogues Cleric Alignments: None Domains: None Favored Weapon: Dagger Lodin does not grant clerical spells because he does not have any clerical followers. He does, however grant luck to particularly devout thieves, who are his only followers. A devout thief would be one who belonged to a thief’s guild that worships Lodin. The thief would have to meet all the requirements of and follow all the rules of the guild he belongs to. If the thief meets these standards he may pray to Lodin for a luck bonus once per day. These bonuses consist of a +1 modifier to one action roll. Death The Black Crow, The Silent One Symbol: A skull crossed by a scythe Alignment: N Portfolio: Death Worshipers: Necromancers Cleric Alignments: N Domains: Death, Destruction, War Favored Weapon: Scythe Death is worshiped by a small secluded cult located in the mountains south of the city of Barden. There are not many adventurers among this cult but those that are tend to be quiet loners. They rarely travel in groups and are not trusted anywhere. Death rarely communicates with the high priest of his cult, usually on the day of his death. The cult runs on faith alone, with only the knowledge that Death has to exist for them to die. The holy symbol of the cult is a skull crossed by a scythe. Duties of the Priesthood: Yearly the priests of the cult travel around the land visiting the graveyards of the cities. This day is known as the Pilgrimage of Death’s Children, on the thirteenth day of Darkfall. They do this to look upon the resting places of those who have seen their god. They are never stopped or attacked and generally avoided by everyone. Priests pray for their spells whenever it suits them, and some have been known to take up some arcane knowledge in necromancy even following the true necromancer path. Must be of neutral alignment. Use only sickle or scythe as weapon. No armor restrictions. Dogma: Death is eternal, unstoppable and indiscriminate. Everything will feel his touch and look upon the face of Death before entering the eternal realm. Elven Deities Though the elves still recognize Illeander as the creator of all, they resent him for allowing death and disease to come into the world. The elves do not recognize the need for balance between good and evil and therefore turned away from the worship of Illeander. The creator, having infinite patience with his children, understood their feelings and in his eternal love he called forth the beings now known as the elven pantheon to protect the elves. Bra’shi and Dran’chect came first to his call quickly followed by Ar’tyr and Ty’ir. Seeing the beautiful world they would be able to explore Ar’tyr called forth her sister Idu’ni to be with her. Greater Gods Bra'shi The Muse Symbol: A bodhran Alignment: NG Portfolio: Poetry and song Worshipers: Bards, Druids Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG Domains: Good, Knowledge, Luck, Travel Favored Weapon: Staff Bra'shi is the patron god of bards and storytellers. He is thought to give inspiration to the elven poets. The holy symbol of the priesthood is a bodhran. Bra’shi and Dran’chect have been consorts since the elven pantheon was called out of the ether by Illeander. They are a peace-loving couple and have one child, the god Bri’eles Duties of the Priesthood: The shamans of Bra'shi are also the scribes and printers of the elven culture. The clerics of Bra’shi usually pray for spells in the morning before they begin their daily tasks. Shamans who leave their clans to travel may be those who have multi-classed as bards or those priests clerics have been sent outside the bounds of the elven realm to study other races or species. Clerics often keep records of a clan's history through song and stories. Priests of Bra’shi are restricted to bludgeoning weapons. No armor restrictions. Dogma: Poetry and music are the closest an elf can come to the Gods. By creating, the elves take upon themselves a small amount of divinity. Ty'ir The Sword, The Honorable Warrior Symbol: A sword across a shield Alignment: CG Portfolio: Combat, courage, honor Worshipers: Warriors, wardens Cleric Alignments: CG, NG, CN Domains: Good, Law, Strength, War Favored Weapon: Longsword Ty'ir is the patron god of elven warriors. Legend holds that Ty'ir has fought at the side of the most famous of the elven heroes in wars throughout the ages. The holy symbol of the priesthood is a sword across a shield. Duties of the Priesthood: The clerics of Ty'ir are the field healers. They follow the elven army into combat fighting along side the warriors, and using their healing powers where they are needed. Clerics of Ty’ir pray in the morning before battle. They believe, like many elves, that the sun gives them strength. Major celebrations are held by the priests on the anniversary of large battles in elven history. Priests are restricted to the sword, knife, and dagger, but have no armor restrictions. Clerics of Ty’ir commonly multi-class as fighters. Dogma: Honor is highly virtuous, one must maintain strength in battle to protect the folk. Never fight for the sake of fighting but never shrink from a conflict. Dran'chect The Peacemaker, The Protector Symbol: An open hand with a white dove in it. Alignment: NG Portfolio: Healing, protection, Peace Worshipers: Healers Cleric Alignments: LG, N, CG Domains: Good, Healing, Law, Protection, Sun Favored Weapon: Staff Dran'chect is a peace-loving goddess. Her priests only fight when it is necessary to save another's life, and they never kill. Her holy symbol is an open hand with a white dove in it. Duties of the Priesthood: The priests of Dran'chect are restricted from fighting unless they have no choice. They are healers, not fighters. If a priest of Dran'chect kills a living being they lose 100 experience points from emotional depression and may not call on their goddess for a period of twenty-four hours. Dran’chect’s priests hold many ceremonies in honor of their goddess. They hold these on the anniversary of the end of historical battles. They are constantly in debate with the followers of Ty’ir. Dran’chect’s clerics will commonly multi-class as monks. Priests are restricted to the quarterstaff, but have no armor restrictions. Dogma: Fighting solves nothing. One must always try to find a peaceful solution to a confrontation. Heal all those who are not beyond healing. Ar'tyr The Huntress Symbol: A bow crossed by an arrow Alignment: NG Portfolio: Stealth, birds of prey, Hunters Worshipers: Rangers, hunters, Wardens Cleric Alignments: N, NG, CG Domains: Animal, Earth, Good, Plant, Sun Favored Weapon: Elven Warbow Ar'tyr is one of the few gods that roam the land with the mortals. She can be found walking the elven forests, day or night, talking with or hunting the animal life of the wood, but for all her hunting no animals are ever killed by her. She is the patron goddess of rangers. Her holy symbol is a bow crossed by and arrow. Duties of the priesthood: The priests of Ar'tyr live in the forests of Silesti as does their goddess. They hunt only what they need to survive and rarely enter clanholds unless they are needed. Clerics of Ar’tyr pray for spells according to personal preference. Their celebrations include a great hunt in the spring and fall, with a feast and dancing. Ar’tyr’s clerics commonly multi-class as rangers or fighters. Priests are restricted to bows, javelin, light or footman's lance, sling, and spear. They have no armor restrictions. Dogma: The hunt brings inner peace and a close connection to the goddess. In the hunt take only what you need to survive and use everything that you take. Lesser Gods Idu'ni The nurturer Symbol: An oak leaf Alignment: NG Portfolio: Animals, trees, Protection Worshipers: Rangers, druids, dryads Cleric Alignments: N, NG, CG Domains: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Good, Plant, Protection, Sun, Water Favored Weapon: Club Idu'ni is the sister of Ar'tyr. The elves of Silesti believe she is the cause of the nations perpetual spring. She is the patron goddess of druids, sylphs, and nymphs. Her holy symbol is an oak leaf. Duties of the priesthood: Priests of Idu'ni tend the beautiful gardens and glades of the elven forests which are their sanctuaries. Idu’ni’s clerics also pray for spells in the morning, when the life-giving rays of the sun first touch the land. There are many holidays celebrated by Idu’ni’s faithful, most involving dancing in the forest and celebrating the beauty of all things. Priests are restricted to club, scimitar, and war hammer. They have no armor restrictions. Idu’ni’s clerics and druids commonly multi-class as rangers. Dogma: The spirit of the trees is eternal. All of the forest is interconnected by the roots of its trees. The forest must be protected from those who would destroy its beauty. Bri'eles The Harvester Symbol: A fish and a hoe Alignment: CG Portfolio: Fish, agriculture, rivers Worshipers: Fishermen, farmers Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN Domains: Animal, Chaos, Earth, Good, Plant, Sun, Water Favored Weapon: Sickle Bri'eles is the patron god of farmers, and fishermen. He is also worshiped by the nixies of the land whose name for him is unpronounceable. The elven people do not farm as other races do, but they do cultivate and harvest crops planted throughout the forest in a way that does not impact the woodland. His holy symbol is a fish and a hoe. Duties of the Priesthood: The priests of Bri'eles overlook the work on the farms of the wealthier houses. They help the growth of the plants and the care of the land. The river also finds them in the mornings giving blessings to the fishermen who wish for a good day on the water. Priests of Bri’eles pray for their spells very early in the morning before the work begins on farms and at fishing villages. The clerics hold special ceremonies at planting and harvest time. Priests are restricted to flail, sickle, and scythe. They have no armor restrictions. Some clerics of Bri’eles multi-class as druids. Dogma: Balance in nature is essential for mutual survival. Never overwork the land or take more from the waters than you need. Dwarven Deities Greater Gods Aris Stoutheart Symbol: The dwarven war axe Alignment: LN Portfolio: War, combat, courage, Honor Worshipers: Warriors Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG Domains: Destruction, Earth, Law, Strength, War Favored Weapon: Dwarven war axe Aris is the father of all the Dwarven gods. He is the patron god of warriors. His holy symbol is the dwarven war axe. Duties of the priesthood: The priests of Aris are the militant priests of the Dwarven culture and can be found fighting beside their warrior comrades. Aris’ clerics pray for spells in the morning or before a big battle. Celebrations are held throughout the year, most commemorating a hero that fell in battle. Celebrations will include feasting, drinking and brawling. Priests are have no weapon or armor restrictions and automatically receive the martial weapon proficiency. Aris’ clerics commonly multi-class as fighters. Dogma: Fight the good fight using anything as a weapon. Never shrink from battle, put down all your foes, and defend your comrades with your life. Goibn The Forge, The Smith Symbol: Anvil Alignment: CG Portfolio: Crafting, forging Worshipers: Metal smiths, most dwarven folk Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN Domains: Chaos, Earth, Fire, Good, Strength, War Favored Weapon: War Hammer Goibn is a brash god who likes a good fight and strong drink. He is the patron god of metal smiths. His holy symbol is the anvil. Dwarves believe that Goibn brought fire to them and taught them to work metal. Duties of the priesthood: The priests of Goibn bless new forges and tools. Some are metal smiths themselves. Priests of Goibn pray for spells whenever it suits them. They can always be found at forges, mines, and ore refineries. There are special rituals needed for processing dwarven steel that these priests are responsible for. Priests are restricted to hammers, and have no armor restrictions. Dogma: To shape metal is to touch the hand of Goibn. The holy metals, steel, mithral, and mitallium are the ultimate materials for crafting the tools and weapons needed to sustain the dwarven nation. Tor The Hammer Symbol: Battle Hammer Alignment: LN Portfolio: Thunder, storms, Lightning Worshipers: Warriors Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG Domains: Earth, Fire, Law, Strength, War Favored Weapon: Battle Hammer Tor is the first son of Aris. It is said that Tor sprang from a wound that Aris took in a fight with Goibn. Aris and Goibn are constantly fighting though they never take it to extremes. He is worshiped by a small group of clerics that fight as a special unit in the Dwarven army, using their combat spells and their hammers. Tor's holy symbol is the dwarven battle hammer. Tor’s own weapon, Beornclar, was said to have been given to a powerful dwarven warrior to defend his people. It is said that as long as the hammer is in the hands of an honorable dwarf they will never be defeated in battle. Duties of the Priesthood: The priests of Tor are a close-knit organization that are unmatched in battle. They combine the use of their spells with a dwarven throwing hammer that has the power to return the wielder. Tor’s priests pray for spells in the evening. They celebrate their faith during lighting storms which they believe is Tor’s manifestation on Thelos. Priests are restricted to club, mace, and hammers. They have no armor restrictions. Dogma: Quickness in battle, like the strike of our god, will help to win the day. Defend the homeland at all costs. Let your enemies feel the thunder of our strength. Lesser Gods Marn The Artist Symbol: A brush and chisel Alignment: LG Portfolio: Artisans and craftsmen Worshipers: Dwarven artisans, carvers, stonemasons, and most merchants Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG Domains: Earth, Good, Knowledge, Law Favored Weapon: Light Hammer Marn is worshipped by the artists and creators of the Dwarven nation. His holy symbol is a brush and chisel. Duties of the priesthood: The priests of Marn paint and engrave the history of the dwarven people. Their work is done on stone tablets if it needs to be protable. If it is to be a permanent work it is painted, or engraved on the walls of their buildings and tunnels. The underground caverns of Barerock are a veritable art gallery of dwarven history. Stone masons who worship Marn are masters of their craft. Their skills are sought far and wide, and their work is timeless. Clerics of Marn pray for spells at any time of day that they desire. There are many important holidays celebrated by Marn’s faithful, commemorating important days in dwarven history. Clerics are restricted to bludgeoning weapons, and have no armor restrictions. Clerics have been known to multi-class as bards and runeweavers. Dogma: Through art we achieve contact with Marn. The ultimate masterpiece is achieved only through boundless faith in Marn. Stone is a blessed material and should be crafted to his ultimate glory. Heril The Healing Hand Symbol: The Hand Alignment: LG Portfolio: Healing, protection Worshipers: Healers, midwives Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG Domains: Earth, Good, Healing, Law, Protection, Sun Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff Heril is the daughter of Marn. She is the only goddess in the dwarven culture and her worshipers are all women. Her holy symbol is the hand. Duties of the Priesthood: The priests of Heril are peaceful and never enter combat unless their life is threatened. They will never try to kill, only to subdue. Priests of Heril pray for their spells in the morning after an hour of meditation. They tend to be derided by many of the other dwarves for their peaceful attitude, but on the field of battle there is no more harrowing sight than a priestess of Marn braving the battle just to pull a fallen warrior to safety. Restricted to quarterstaff and club, they have no armor restrictions. Many clerics of Marn multi-class as field medics. Dogma: The taking of life is wrong unless it is in defense of those weaker than you. Mercy and healing must be extended to all, including the enemy. Other Deities Lord of Dreams Lord of War and Hate Lady of Peace and Love